Dual stacked connector

ABSTRACT

A small size connector has an insulative housing and two edge card-receiving slots disposed in a stacked arrangement with in the connector housing. Each slot receives an edge card of an electronic module therein. The slots support conductive terminals that extend from a plurality of individual terminal assemblies. The terminal assemblies include clip members that engage an opposing shoulder formed on the interior of the connector housing. The front face of the connector is provided with various engagement openings that receive engagement members of light pipe assemblies and shielding assemblies, so that when assembled, the connector, shield, terminal assemblies and light pipes all act as a single, integrated component.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of prior U.S. Provisional PatentApplications Nos. 60/571,375, filed May 14, 2004 and 60/584,420, filedJun. 30, 2004 and 60/584,421, also filed Jun. 30, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to electrical connector assemblies and, moreparticularly, to an small sized electrical connectors having a stackedarrangement.

Electrical connectors adapted for mounting to printed circuit boards areknown in the art and are commonly used for connection between twoelectrical communication devices. In order to ensure that a properconnection has been made and therefore a link is created between theelectrical communication devices, indicators may be incorporated intocircuits on the printed circuit board. These indicators are typicallylight emitting diodes (LEDs) which are turned on when a circuit iscompleted between the mating connectors and the communication devices.Additionally LEDs can be mounted on the printed circuit board toindicate a number of other conditions including the passage ofcommunications signals between the two communication devices, indicationof power, or indication that an error in transmitting the signals hasoccurred.

A problem arises with these type of connectors because the terminals ofthe connector are usually stitched in from the rear of the connector.Stitched connector typically require a means to align the tails of theconnector terminals to facilitate the insertion of the connector onto acircuit board. The use of tail aligners increase the overall size of theconnector, thereby increasing the printed circuit board “real estate”occupied by the connector.

Small size connectors must usually be inserted into an exteriorshielding cage by way of a bottom opening. When a dual connector of astacked arrangement, i.e., one which is intended to mate with twoelectronic modules in a vertically spaced arrangement, is desired, sucha connector cannot be practically inserted into a shielding cage by wayof a bottom opening because of the intervening horizontal wall of theshielding cage.

The present invention is therefore directed to a connector having aconstruction that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and whicheasily mates with a shielding cage intended to provide electromagneticinterference shielding around electronic modules that engage theconnector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention toprovide a small form factor circuit board connector in a stackedconfiguration having engagement faces thereof spaced vertically apart.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual engagementconnector component that is engageable with a light pipe assembly, thedual engagement connector component having two engagement areasvertically spaced apart from each other on the component and which areeach surrounded by a metal shield component, the shield componentdefining two distinct module-receiving bays which are separated by anintervening space, the light pipe assembly extending from the connectorcomponent forwardly through the intervening space to provide at least apair of indicator lights near the front of the module-receiving bays,the light pipe assembly engaging the sides or front of the connectorcomponent.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connectorfor use with a shielded assembly having two bays, the connector havingtwo engagement slots that receive edges of circuit cards that areassociated with electronic modules, the connector having a plurality ofterminal assemblies, each of which holds a plurality of conductiveterminals in a selected arrangement, the terminals being housed in aninsulative skeletal frame.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a connectorhaving a small form factor and dual card engagement slots spaced apartvertically in a housing of the connector, the connector housing havingat least one slot formed on a front face thereof for receivingengagement members of a shielding assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a terminalassembly for the aforementioned connectors, wherein the terminalassemblies each include an insulative frame that houses a plurality ofconductive terminals, and the frame includes an engagement member thatextends forwardly from the frame and engages a ledge of the housing toassist in orienting the terminal assembly in the connector cavity.

The present invention accomplishes these and other object by way of itsstructure. A connector housing is provided with an internal cavityformed therein that opens to the rear of the connector housing. Thiscavity accommodates a plurality of individual terminal assemblies. Eachterminal assembly includes a dielectric frame that supports a pluralityof conductive terminals. The terminals have aright-angle configuration,with tail portions of the compliant pin style preferably disposed alongone edge of the frame and with individual contact portions disposedalong another and preferably adjacent edge of the terminal assemblyframe.

These terminal assemblies are inserted into the cavity so that thecontact portions are received within terminal-receiving cavities formedin the connector housing. The terminal assemblies also preferablyinclude engagement members which may take the form of clips disposedalong the same edge as the contact portions and these clips engage ashoulder formed in the connector housing within the connector cavity.

The internal cavity of the connector housing accommodates the terminalassemblies and a shoulder member is provided therein as a member for theterminal assemblies to engage and maintain their orientation within thehousing. The front face of the connector housing may be provided withslots or cavities disposed between the two card engagement slots. Theseother slots receive corresponding opposing engagement members,preferably in the form of tabs, that extend from a portion of anexterior shielding assembly and which portion provides an interveningshielding wall of an associated shielding assembly that divides theassembly into two distinct module-receiving bays. These slots arepreferably positioned outside of the openings into which the light pipeengagement members are inserted.

The front of the connector component may have one or more engagementslots of cavities formed therein which engage a light pipe assembly. Bythis frontal engagement, the sides of the connector housing need not bemodified to engage the light pipes in any fashion, so as to maintain thereduced size of the connector component. The light pipe assembly mayinclude hooks that are integrally formed with the light pipes as apreferable means of attachment. The light pipe assembly may utilizedistinct first and second pairs of light pipes, and each such pair mayutilizes its own set of engagement hooks for engaging the connectorcomponent in the manner described above.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be clearly understood through a consideration of thefollowing detailed description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe following figures of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a connectorassembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled view of the portion of the connectorassembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connector housing incorporated intothe assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is perspective view of a first embodiment of a light pipeassembly that may be used with the connector assembly of FIGS. 1–3;

FIG. 5 is perspective view of a second embodiment of a light pipeassembly incorporated into the connector assembly of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the light pipe assembly of FIG. 4incorporated into the connector assembly, and extending along the sidesthereof;

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway perspective view showing the light pipeassembly of FIG. 5 incorporated into the connector assembly, andspecifically disposed within the exterior shield assembly and partiallywithin the space dividing the two module-receiving bays of the connectorassembly;

FIG. 8 is the same view of the connector assembly of FIG. 7, but withthe shield assmebly exterior wall shown in place;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of the inventionwherein the light pipes engage the connector component of the assemblyby way of slots disposed in the front face of the connector components,and which are partially contained within the space separating the twomodule-receiving bays of the connector assembly;

FIG. 10 is the same view as FIG. 9, but with the modules shown inengagement with their associated connector component and with theshielding cage assembly removed for clarity;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of only the light pipe assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is the same view as FIG. 11, but with the light pipe end capshown exploded away from the light pipes for clarity;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of only the two pairs of light pipes ofFIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the light pipe and end cap assembly ofFIG. 11, taken along line 14—14 thereof;

FIG. 15 is a frontal elevational view of the light pipes of FIG. 13,taken along line 15—15 thereof;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged detail perspective view of FIG. 9, illustratingonly the light pipe and end cap assembly engaged with their associatedconnector component and positioned in place on a circuit board;

FIG. 17A is a perspective view illustrating the right-side light pipe inengagement with the connector component of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17B is the same view as FIG. 17A, but with the light pipe removedfrom engagement with the connector component to illustrate better themanner of engagement between the two components;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a small from factor connector assemblyutilizing another, or fourth, embodiment of a light pipe assemblyconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of the connectorassembly of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is the same view as FIG. 19, but with the light pipe andconnector assembly shown separated from the circuit board and the shieldrear end removed to illustrate the manner of insertion of the lightpipe-connector assembly into the shielding cage;

FIG. 21 is the same view as FIG. 20, but fully exploded to illustrateall of the components of the overall assembly in which the presentinvention is used;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating the light pipes spaced apartfrom their associated connector component;

FIG. 23A is a perspective view of the light pipe-connector componentassembly, and taken from the rear thereof to illustrate the manner inwhich the light pipes extend along the sides of the connector componentto face the circuit board illuminators;

FIG. 23B is the same view as FIG. 23A, but sectioned along line B—Bthereof;

FIG. 24A is a top plan view of the first, or inner pair of light pipes;

FIG. 24B is a front elevational view of FIG. 24A showing the inner pairof light pipes;

FIG. 25A is a top plan view of the second, or outer, pair of lightpipes;

FIG. 25B is a front elevational view of FIG. 25A, showing the outer pairof light pipes;

FIG. 26A is a top plan view of the first and second pairs of light pipesnested together;

FIG. 26B is a front elevational view of FIG. 26A, showing the two pairsof light pipes in line together;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of a lightpipe, endcap and connector assembly;

FIG. 28 is an exploded view of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a small form factor connectorconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present inventionand which utilizes individual terminal assemblies;

FIG. 30 is an exploded view of FIG. 30, illustrating the terminalassemblies removed from their position within the connector housing;

FIG. 31 is the same view as FIG. 29, but taken from the rear,illustrating the internal structure of the connector cavity, includingthe terminal-receiving slots of the connector housing and the terminalassembly engagement ledge of the connector housing;

FIG. 32 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 29, with alternating ones ofthe terminal assemblies illustrated in place within the connectorcavity;

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a terminal assembly used in theconnector of FIG. 29;

FIG. 34 is a sectional view of the terminal assembly, illustrating thelead frame in place within its insulative skeletal frame;

FIG. 35 is a sectional view of the connector of FIG. 29 mounted on acircuit board and disposed within an exterior shielding assembly;

FIG. 36 is a front elevational view of the connector housing of FIG. 29;

FIG. 37 is a rear elevational view of the connector housing of FIG. 36,but with the terminal assemblies removed to illustrate the interior ofthe connector housing more clearly;

FIG. 38 is a sectional view of the connector housing of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is a sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 36,illustrating a terminal assembly in place within the connector housinginternal cavity; and,

FIG. 40 is a perspective view of an array of the connectors of theinvention in place upon a circuit board and mated together with portionsof an exterior shielding assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A connector assembly 10 of the present invention will now be describedgenerally with reference to FIGS. 1–3. The connector assembly 10 isdesigned for mounting on a printed circuit board 11. Connector assembly10 comprises a connector housing 12 defining a pair of ports 14, 16 eachadapted for receiving a portion of a mating connector (not shown).Herein, the housing port 14 will be referred to as the “lower port”, andhousing port 16 will be referred to as the “upper port”, but it will beunderstood that such terms as “upper”, “lower”, etc. are used in thisdescription to facilitate an understanding of the invention and are notintended to be limiting.

Upper and lower ports 14, 16 each have a plurality of conductiveterminals 21 mounted therein for engaging complementary terminals of amating connector (not shown). To permit space for latching mechanismsfor releasably securing connector assembly 10 in a mated condition witha complementary mating connector, a cavity 18 may be formed betweenupper port 16 and lower port 14 of connector housing 12. Recesses 20 maybe formed in side portions of housing 12, for purposes to be describedbelow. Recesses 20 may be in communication with housing cavity 18.

Connector housing 12 may be molded from an insulative, thermoplasticmaterial. The terminals are mounted in the upper port 16 and the lowerport 14 and each terminal has contact portions at an end thereof (notshown) for engaging complementary contact portions of the terminals ofthe mating connector, and tail portions 22 projecting rearwardly fromthe contact portions and extending downwardly toward printed circuitboard 11 for electrical connection to respective traces thereon viathrough holes formed in (or surface mount pads formed on a surface of)printed circuit board 11. A tail aligner 24 may be attached to connectorhousing 12 using any one of a variety of known methods, such as asnap-fit, press-fit or mechanical fasteners. The tail aligner 24includes a plurality of through holes 26 formed therein and which areconfigured to match the arrangement of terminal tail portions 22extending downward toward printed circuit board 11. The tail aligner 24is mounted onto tail portions 22 of the terminals in the direction ofarrow “A” (FIG. 1) and it sits on the surface of the circuit board 11.

A pair of shielding cage assemblies 28, 30 are secured to connectorhousing 12, with the cage assemblies including a lower cage assembly 28that is secured to housing 12 to substantially enclose lower port 14thereof, and an upper cage assembly 30 that is secured to the housing 12to substantially enclose the upper port 16 thereof. The cage assemblies28, 30 are typically formed using a material, such as sheet metal orplated plastic, which conducts and guides magnetic and electric fieldenergy so as to aid in shielding circuit elements positioned proximateconnector assembly 10 from electromagnetic interference (EMI).

The lower cage assembly 28 typically includes two interengaging pieces,a lower base component 32 and a lower cover component 34. The lower basecomponent 32 has a general U-shaped configuration when viewed from thefront or rear ends, 36, 38 respectively. As such, the lower basecomponent 32 typically includes three sides, or walls: a base or bottomwall 40 and two sidewalls 42, 44 that extend upwardly from the bottomwall 40 and which are spaced apart from each other to define a channel46 therebetween, into which a portion of the connector housing 12 fits.As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front and rear portions of lower basecomponent 32 are left open.

The lower base component 32 is stamped and formed from metal. The lowerbase component 32 may alternatively be formed using other conductivematerials, such as metal-plated plastic or the like. Lower covercomponent 34 may also be formed is a similar manner. Generally, thecover component 34 has a length that matches a corresponding length oflower base component 32, and a width that is equal to or slightlygreater than a corresponding width of the lower base component 32. Thelower cover component 34 is bent, into a general U-shaped configurationwhen looking at it from its front end 50. In this fashion, it includestop wall 52 and two spaced-apart side walls 54, 56. Lower base component32 and lower cover component 34 interengage along respective sidewallsthereof the form an enclosure for at least partially enclosing lowerhousing Port 14 of connector housing therein. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2,the front and rear portions of the lower cage assembly 28 are left open.Details of this type of shielding cage are provided in U.S. Pat. No.6,443,768, which issued on Sep. 3, 2002 and is incorporated herein byreference.

The structure of upper cage assembly 30 is similar to that of lower cageassembly 28 and it includes two interengaging pieces: an upper basecomponent 58 and an upper cover component 60. The upper base component58 has a bottom wall 62 and two spaced-apart sidewalls 64, 66. The uppercover component 60 has a top wall 72 and two spaced apart sidewalls 74,76. These sidewalls 74 and 76 interengage the upper base component asshown in order to form an enclosure similar to that formed by lower cageassembly 28, for at least partially enclosing an upper housing port 16of the connector housing 12. In addition, sidewalls 74, 76 of uppercover component 60 also extend toward printed circuit board 11 tosubstantially enclose side portions of both upper cage assembly 30 andlower cage assembly 28. The lower base component 32 may be provided withmounting pin portions 48 that are stamped out of the bottom wall 40thereof and which are formed, or bent, so that they extend verticallywith respect to the lower base bottom wall 40, and generally in the sameplane as the sidewalls 42, 44. The mounting pin portions 48 are formedin a desired pattern to engage and mate with corresponding mountingholes on printed circuit board 11. Similar mounting pin portions 80 maybe formed to extend along lower edges of extended sidewalls 74, 76 ofthe cover member 60 to engage mounting holes in printed circuit board11. Connector assembly 10 also includes a separate rear wall 78 that isattachable to the upper and lower cage assemblies 28, 30. The rear wall78 forms an enclosure surrounding the terminal tail portions 22, tailaligner 24 and the rear portion of connector housing 12 when attached tocage assemblies 28, 30, and the rear wall 78 includes mounting pinportions 80 extending from its bottom and extending vertically. The pinportions 80 engage mounting holes on printed circuit board 11.

Referring to FIGS. 4–7, a light pipe assembly 82, is shown as part ofthe overall connector assembly 10. The light pipe assembly 82 a of FIG.4 will be referenced for the purpose of describing the basic componentsof the light pipe assemblies. However, it will be understood that lightpipe assembly 82 b of FIG. 5 has the same basic features as light pipeassembly 82 a. Light pipe assembly 82 includes at least one light pipe84 manufactured from a material suitable for carrying light, such as aplastic or glass. The pipes 84 are illustrated as pairs of pipes, witheach pair shown extending alongside the shielding cage assembly of theconnector assembly. FIGS. 4 & 5 show assemblies which are formed usingmultiple light pipes. The light pipes 84 may be color-coded and eachlight pipe 84 has a light-receiving input face 86, a light emittingoutput or display face 88, and a body portion 90 extending between theinput and output faces. Light pipes 84 are shaped to carry light signalsfrom input faces 86 through body portions 90 to output faces 88.

Portions of light pipes 84 may be affixed to one or more support members92. Support members 92 provide a framework for positioning and securinglight pipes 84 with respect to each other and with respect to cageassemblies 28, 30. Thus, portions of support members 92 may be formed soas to enable engagement with features on one of cage assemblies 28, 30.Support members 92 may be formed integral with light pipes 84. When thelight pipe assembly 82 is mounted to cage assemblies 28, 30, input faces86 of each light pipe 84 will be positioned so as to reside opposite arespective light source such as an LED on the circuit board 11.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a light pipe assembly 82 a is externallymounted with respect to cage assemblies 28, 30. FIGS. 4 and 6 show onepossible configuration, in which two pairs of light pipes are spacedapart vertically and connected to a pair of support members 92 a. Lightpipe assembly 82 a may be connected to one or more of the cageassemblies 28, 30 using any one of several known methods. Examples ofpossible attachment methods include a mating-type connection betweencomplementary features formed in light pipe assembly 82 a and cageassembly 28, 30, mechanical fasteners, or adhesives. A portion of lightpipe assembly 82 a may also be secured to printed circuit board. One ormore light pipe assemblies 82 a may also be mounted along multiple sidesof connector assembly. Thus, the light pipe assembly 82 a may beconfigured in any desired manner to enable attachment to an existingconnector assembly and to convey light between light emitting elementsand light receiving elements having any one of a variety of spatiallocations with respect to the connector assembly.

The shapes of light pipes 84 a and the dimensions and positioning ofsupport members 92 a may be chosen to convey light between lightemitting elements and light receiving sensors having a wide variety oflocations in relation to connector assembly 10. For example, as seen inFIG. 6, the configurations of light pipes 84 a and support members 92 amay be specified such that light pipe input faces 86 a will receivelight from respective LED's positioned on the circuit board 11 atvarious distances from connector assembly 10. Also, the configurationsof light pipes 84 a and support members 92 a may be specified such thatlight pipe output faces 88 a will emit light to light receiving sensorslocated at any one of a variety of distances from printed circuit board11.

Referring to FIG. 5 a light pipe assembly 82 b may be provided thatincludes one or more pairs of individual light pipes arranged in pairs.Each assembly 82 b can be seen to include a pair of adjacent light pipes84 b that are attached to one or more support members 92 b. The lightpipes 84 b each opposing input faces 86 b, output faces 88 b and bodyportions 90 b that extend between the input and output faces 86 b, 88 b.In this embodiment, the light pipes are configured to be mounted withinthe upper cage cover component 60 as shown by the alternate embodimentarranged in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the pipes extends within theconnector housing recess 20 and cavity 18 formed between housing upperport 16 and housing lower port 14.

The light pipe assembly 82 b may extend along a portion of tail aligner24, behind connector housing 12 and the light pipe assembly 82 b may besecured to the connector housing 12 such that light pipe input faces 86b reside opposite respective LED's mounted on printed circuit board 11and light pipe output faces 88 b reside opposite respective lightreceiving sensors (not shown) mounted on a separate item of electronicequipment. Body portions 90 b are formed so as to connect input faces 86b and output faces 88 b for conveying light from LED's to the lightreceiving sensors located proximate output faces 88 b.

As may be seen in FIG. 5, the input faces 86 b of light pipes 84 b maybe arranged in a “front-rear” configuration with respect to the matingdirection of connector assembly 10 indicated by arrow “A”. The bodyportions 90 b of the light pipes 84 b include vertical portions 96 bextending upward from printed circuit board 11 and terminating in rightangle bends 98 b. Horizontal portions 100 b of light pipes 84 b extendfrom right angle bends 98 b toward a front portion of the connectorassembly, terminating in a transition region, generally designated 102b. It may be seen from FIG. 5 that horizontal portions 100 b extendingforward from right angle bends 98 b have an “over-and-under”orientation.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, it may be desired to arrange output faces 88b of light pipes 84 b in a “side-to-side” configuration with respect tothe connector assembly mating direction. Thus, the configuration oflight pipes 84 b must transition from the “over-and-under” orientationof horizontal portions 100 b to the “side-to-side” configuration. Thistransition is shown best in FIG. 5. The transition in the configurationof the light pipes between right angle bends 98 b and output ends 88 bis achieved by forming, in transition region 102 b, angled portions 104b in each of the body portions of the light pipes. The transition region102 b preferably resides within housing cavity 18.

FIG. 5 shows one possible arrangement of angled portions 104 b intransition region 102 b. At points on the light pipe body portions 90 bwhich are located within the housing cavity 18, the body portion 90 b ofthe bottommost light pipe 84 b angles inward and upward, while the bodyportion 90 b of the top most light pipe 84 b angles outward anddownward. The straight sections 106 b of the body portions 90 b thenproceed from angled portions 104 b toward a front portion of connectorassembly 10 proximate the connector receiving openings in cageassemblies 104 b. As seen in FIG. 5, the body portions 90 b may beangled such that straight sections 106 b are spaced apart from eachother and spaced approximately the same distance from printed circuitboard 11.

A support member 92 b may be positioned between body straight sections106 b proximate angled 104 b to position and secure the light pipestraight sections 106 b with respect to each other and with respect toconnector housing 12. The width of support member 106 b may be set toprovide and maintain a desired predetermined spacing between straightsections 106 b. Also, the length of support member 92 b may be set toprovide a press fit between upper cage base component 58 and lower cagecover component 34 when light pipe assembly 82 b is inserted into thecavity 18 formed between the upper port 16 and lower port 14 of theconnector housing. The support member 92 b may also be plated with ametallic material to form a conductive member extending between uppercage assembly base component 58 and lower cage assembly cover component34. This provides additional grounding contact between cage assemblies28 and 30.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show that portions of light pipe straight sections 106 bthat include output faces 88 b may be received in a shroud, or endcap108. The end cap 108 may be preferably formed using conductive materialsto provide some degree of EM shielding. The endcap 108 secures the lightpipe output faces 88 b in a pattern, and provides additional EMIshielding for the overall connector assembly. For these purposes, theend cap 108 may be disposed to create intimate contact with both theupper cage assembly 58 and the lower cage assembly 36 and may beconnected to a grounding member on the printed circuit board 11.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, two light pipe assemblies 82 b are embodied in twopairs of spaced apart light pipes 84 b extending along opposite sides ofconnector housing 12. In this embodiment, the light pipe assemblies 82 breside within housing recesses 20, within upper cage cover component 60,and within the cavity 18 formed between upper port 16 and lower port 14.As such, the light pipe assembly 82 b resides within the existingprinted circuit board “footprint” of the connector assembly as definedby connector housing 12 and the cage assemblies that enclose thehousing. Thus, this embodiment of the connector assembly incorporates alight pipe assembly therein without occupying additional space onprinted circuit board 11.

Assembly of the connector assembly 10 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 will now bedescribed. In a first step, the terminals may be press-fit intoconnector housing 12. Terminal tail portions 22 are then inserted intotail aligner holes 26 and the tail aligner 24 is secured to connectorhousing 12, thereby securing tail portions 22 with respect to housing12. The upper and lower cage assemblies 58, 36 are then secured over theconnector housing 20 to upper and lower housing ports 14 and 16,respectively.

The rear wall 78 of the cage assembly is then attached to the shieldingcage assembly over the upper and lower assemblies 30, 28 and the uppercover component 60 to enclose terminal tail portions 22, tail aligner 24and to close off the rear portion of connector housing 12. The rear wall78 is generally secured in intimate contact with one or more walls ofeach of upper cage assembly base component 58, upper cage assembly covercomponent 60, lower cage assembly base component 32 and lower cageassembly cover component 34. As stated previously, mounting pin portions80 may also be formed on the shielding cage rear wall 78 in a desiredpattern to engage and mate with corresponding mounting holes on thecircuit board 11. These holes may be plated through holes which areelectrically coupled to circuit traces on printed circuit board 11.These circuit traces are connected to one or more grounding features,thereby providing a grounding path for electromagnetic energy flowingthrough cage assemblies 28 and 30. After securing rear wall 78 to upperand lower cage assemblies 28 and 30, the connector assembly 10 may beelectrically attached as a single unit to the printed circuit board 11.

Assembly of the second embodiment of connector assembly 12 will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8. In a first step, theterminals are press-fit into connector housing 12. Terminal tailportions 22 are then inserted into tail aligner holes 26 and tailaligner 24 is secured to connector housing 12, thereby securing tailportions 22 with respect to housing 12. In this embodiment, the lowercage assembly 28 is then secured to the connector lower housing port 14,and the base portion 58 of the upper cage assembly 30 is then attachedto the connector upper housing port 16. The light pipe assembly 82 b isthen press-fit into housing recess 20 and the housing cavity 18. Uppercage assembly cover component 60 is then attached to upper cage assemblybase component 60, thereby enclosing light pipe assembly 82 b withinside walls of upper cover component 60. The spacing between the upperand lower cage assemblies 30, 28 defines a cavity that extendslengthwise of the connector assembly and this cavity accommodates thehorizontal extent of the light pipe assemblies.

The rear wall 78 may then attached to cage assemblies 28, 30 to encloseterminal tail portions, tail aligner 24 and the rear portion ofconnector housing 12 as described above. After securing rear wall 78 toupper and lower cage assemblies 30 and 28, connector assembly 10 may beelectrically attached to printed circuit board 11. FIG. 9 illustrates adifferent connector 201 that supports a plurality of conductiveterminals 203, each terminal of which may be stitched into rear openings204 disposed in an insulative housing 205 of the connector 201. Theconnector 201 is shown in its eventual mounting location on the circuitboard 202 and the connector housing 205 illustrates in this embodimentincludes a pair of card edge connector portions 206 which are disposedin a “stacked”, or vertically spaced-apart, fashion along the front face207 of the connector housing 205. The stacked connectors 201 areenclosed within a metal shielding cage assembly 220 that has twomodule-receiving bays 221 defined therein. Each of these bays 221 isintended to receive an electronic module 222 therein in a fashion thatis well known in the art. The module-receiving bays 221 are also stackedor spaced-apart vertically from each other and, due to the cageconstruction, an intervening space 223 that extends lengthwise throughthe shielding assembly 220 is defined between the two bays 221.

The light pipe assembly 200 includes two pairs 210 of light pipes 212that extend forwardly of the connector 201 along the sides of theconnector housing 205 and into the intervening space 223 between the twobays. The light pipes 212 are generally L-shaped and have first ends 214(FIG. 10) that are positioned in opposition to illuminators 225 locatedon the circuit board 202. The second ends 215 of the light pipes arelocated on the opposite ends of the light pipes 212 and as illustrated,are preferably held in place and in a selected alignment by an end cap216, which typically would be formed of a conductive material. This isso that the endcap 216 may provide a means of electrically connectingthe two module-receiving bays of the shielding assembly together as wellas providing a measure of electromagnetic interference shielding acrossthe intervening space in which it resides. The exterior shielding cageassembly includes a rear wall 250 that may be formed as a separate pieceor may be formed as part of the top cage assembly. In the formerinstance, the rear wall 250 is separately attached to the cage assemblyand in the latter instance, it is preferably folded down over the backopening of the cage assembly and then attached to the upper cover 251.Instances where the rear wall 250 is formed as part of the upper cover251, it is attached thereto along and end 252 and then folded back overthe rear opening. In either instance, the rear wall 250 is preferablysecured by integrated clips 254 or pins or the like.

The end cap 216 is received within (as are the horizontal portions ofthe light pipes 215) the intervening space 223 that separates the twobays 221. The end cap 216 may include indicia 217 that identify thefunction of the connector 200, i.e., whether the modules are connectedto the connector or whether the modules are energized or the like. Asshown best in FIG. 11, the end cap 216 may include a plurality ofengagement members, shown as raised members 218 that engage opposingelements formed on the top bay 221 of the shielding assembly 220. Slots219 may be formed in the members 218 to receive members 225 formed inthe top bay 221. (FIG. 9.) Similarly, the square, raised member 218 maybe received in a like-sized opening 226 that is disposed in the uppercage assembly 220. Each pair 210 of light pipes may further include asupport bar 230, shown vertically, that may be integrally formed withthe pair 210 of pipes in order to space the pipes of each pair 210 aparta selected distance. In order to engage the connector and to partiallysupport the pipes in their extent, the pairs of light pipes may furthereach preferably include engagement members 232, shown as hook-type lugsthat extend inwardly of the pipe pairs 210. As shown best in FIG. 16,these lugs 232 are received within cavities, or slots 209 that areformed in the front face of the connector housing 205. As shown in theFigures, the lugs 232 are L-shaped, but any configuration that holds thepipes in place will suffice.

As shown best in FIG. 13, the light pipes may have thick body portions235 that reduce down in thickness to thin second end portions 236. Theseend portions 236 are received within complimentary openings 237 formedin the end caps 216 and which extend lengthwise through the end cap 216.In this regard, the end cap 216 may keep the pipes together in aselected alignment along their lengthwise extent through the interveningspace 223 between the two module-receiving bays 221 of the shieldingassembly 220. As shown best in FIGS. 17A & 17B, the connector housing205 has recesses 208 formed along the sidewalls of the connector housing205, and the recesses are shown as positioned generally on the connectorhousing 205 at a level midway of the height of the connector housing205, but the recesses may be located elsewhere.

FIG. 18 illustrates another connector assembly that incorporates lightpipes constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention. In FIG. 18, only the shield assembly 301 is illustrated alongwith the circuit board 302 and the light pipe end cap 304. In assembly,the shield assembly 301 receives the connector housing 205 from the rearopening and then the rear wall member 314 is applied to the shieldassembly 301 so as to form an integrated assembly that is applied to thecircuit board 302 as a single element, rather than applied over adiscrete connector applied to the circuit board. The shield assembly 301is configured to define a pair of module-receiving bays 305 that arespaced apart from each other in the vertical direction so as to beconsidered stacked upon each other. The bays 305 are separated by anintervening space 306 that is shown occupied by the end cap 304 andthrough which the light pipes extend. The shielding assembly 301 isshown as including a hollow enclosure 310 that has a bottom wall 311,intervening walls 312, 313 and a rear wall 314 that closes off theenclosure after the connector and light pipe assemblies have beeninserted as a unit from the rear of the shielding assembly 301. Theintervening walls 312, 313 have tabs 315 that extend into and preferablythrough openings 317 that are formed in the side walls of the enclosure310.

In FIG. 19, the shielding assembly 301 is removed from the circuit board302 for clarity in order to expose the internal connector 320 and thelight pipe assembly 330 to view. The connector component 320 includes aninsulative housing 321 with two edge card-receiving slots 322 spacedvertically apart from each other so that each slot 322 is aligned withone of the two module-receiving bays 305. The connector housing 321includes a plurality of cavities, each of which receives a singleconductive terminal 324 therein. As is known in the art, each terminalmay include a contact portion that is exposed within the card slots 322.A light pipe assembly 330 is shown with two pairs of light pipes 331which are separated from each other horizontally. These pipes haveindicator ends 332 received within an end cap 304, which includesopenings 333 which communicate to the pipe indicator ends 332.

As shown best in FIG. 21, the light pipe assembly 330 preferablyincludes two distinct elements, which may be referred to as first andsecond arrays 336 a, 336 b of light pipes. Each such array 336 a, 336 bincludes two light pipes 331 that are spaced apart from each other. Thespacing between the two pipes is closer in the first array 336 a than itis the second array 336 b. (FIG. 22.) In this manner the light pipes 331of the first array 336 a may be received within the space between thetwo pipes 331 of the second light pipe array 336 b. In such a fashion,the first array 336 a may be considered as at least partially “nested”within the second array 336 a.

Similar to the other embodiments, the two light pipes 331 of each array336 a, 336 b are held together in their spacing by a support or tie bar337 a, 337 b which extends horizontally somewhat above the light pipes331 of the first array 336 a and somewhat underneath the light pipes 331of the second array 336 b. The light pipes are generally L-shaped andhave opposing ends 338, 339, with one end 338 being positioned over oron a illuminator device 345 disposed in the circuit board 302 near thesides of the connector 320. With the support bars 337 a, 337 b of thelight pipe arrays 336 a,b being inverted, it is possible to place thefirst array 336 a of pipes on and within the second array 336 b ofpipes. The support bars 337 b of the second light pipe array 336 b ineffect, define a “nest” into which the horizontal extent of the firstlight pipe array 336 a are received. This nesting is shown best in FIGS.23A, 26A & 26B.

The rearmost support bars 337 a, 337 b of each of the light pipe arrays336 a, b include means for engaging the connector 320 and such means areillustrated as pairs of engagement hooks 339 that extend rearwardly fromtheir support bars 337 a, 337 b. These hooks 339A are received withinrecesses 340 that are formed in the connector housing 321 and which, asshown best in FIG. 23B, include shoulder portions 341 which theengagement hooks 339A engage. The engagement hooks 339A of the firstarray 336 a are received in the top row of recesses 340 as shown in thesectional view of FIG. 23B, and the engagement hooks 339 of the secondarray 336 b are received within the bottom row of recesses 340. (FIG.20.)

The offset nature of the support bars 337, 338 a,b also facilitates thefitting of the light pipes into the intervening space 306 between thetop and bottom bays 305 by reducing the overall height of the horizontalextent of the light pipe arrays 336 a,b. The end cap 304 may includeslots 344 that are formed on the top and bottom surfaces thereof receivestubs 346 formed on the intervening walls of the shielding assembly 301.

FIGS. 27 and 28 illustrate an embodiment 400 in which the light pipeassembly 401 is integrally formed as a single piece, such as byinjection molding or any suitable process. In FIG. 28 the light pipeassembly 401 has two pairs of light pipes 403 associated which areinterconnected together by support members 405 to form a lattice-likestructure. The support members 405 are shown interconnecting togetherboth the vertical and horizontal portions of the light pipes. Anotherset of support members 407 may interconnect the horizontal portions andmay include engagement members 409 formed therewith, which are receivedwithin corresponding openings 412 disposed in the front face 413 of theassociated connector component 420. The forwardmost support member 405may also include an engagement member, shown as a hook member 423 thatengages the shoulder 430 of an end cap 431. Once again in thisembodiment, the light pipe assembly 401 is supported entirely along thefront face 413 of the connector 420 and not by any side portionsthereof, which assists in reducing the overall width of the connectorassembly and exterior shielding assembly (not shown).

FIG. 29 illustrates a connector 500 suitable for use in small formfactor applications and particularly with the aforementioned light pipeassemblies, and which is constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention. The connector 500 includes a housing 502 thatis preferably formed from an insulative material, which may be injectionmolded or the like. The housing 502 has a forward engagement portion 504with a frontal face 506. The forward engagement portion extendsforwardly into the interior space of the exterior shielding assembly.The housing illustrated includes a base portion 508 and a top portion510. The base and top portions 508, 510 extend rearwardly from theforward engagement portion 504 and cooperatively define what may beconsidered as an internal cavity 511 of the connector that opens to therear of the connector. (FIG. 31.) The base portion 508 is intended formounting to a circuit board (not shown) and therefore may preferablyinclude mounting members, like posts 509 and stabilizing lugs 507extending out from the connector housing sides laterally so the bottomsurfaces thereof may abut the circuit board.

The housing internal cavity 511 houses a plurality of terminalassemblies 520, one of which is illustrated best in FIG. 33. As shown inFIG. 33, the terminal assembly 520 includes a plurality of conductiveterminals, shown as two pairs of terminals. The terminals 521 of eachpair are spaced apart from each other vertically, and the two pairsthemselves are likewise spaced apart from each other in the verticaldirection. This spacing permits the terminal assemblies 520 to be usedin connector 500 of the present invention which are suited for stackedor dual configuration. The terminals 521 are initially supported in alead frame and inserted into a mold where the terminals 521 areseparated and a supporting dielectric frame 522 is molded over portionsof the terminals 521, such as by over molding. The dielectric frame 522provides a measure of thickness to the terminal assembly 520 and definesa body portion of the assembly. The terminals are trimmed into separateterminals by a process known in the art. The terminals are preferablyarranged in an inverted-L configuration as shown so as to maintain thedepth of the connector at an optimum amount and so as to accommodate theclips 535.

The terminal assembly 520 preferably has a generally square orrectangular configuration, as shown, with four distinct sides. Theterminals 521, as shown best in FIG. 34, include contact portions 523that extend along one side 524 of the assembly 520 and tail portions,shown as compliant pin portions 525, that extend along and out fromanother side 526 of the terminal assembly 520. These two sides 524, 525are adjacent each other as shown, although other configurations aresuitable. The terminals 521 further include body portions 527 thatinterconnect the contact portions 523 and the tail portions 525 togetherand the overall configuration of the terminals 521 of the assembly 520may be considered is L-shaped. The dielectric frame 522 may include, asbest shown in FIG. 33, openings 528 that follow the path of theterminals 521, with one opening tracking one terminal. These openings528 expose portions of the terminals 521 to air and are suitable forproviding an air-terminal interface between selected portions ofterminals of the connector. This exposure to air may be used foraffecting the impedance of the system in which the connector 500 isused, and particularly the impedance of the terminals 521 of theterminal assemblies 520. The rear edge, or side 5280 of the terminalassemblies 520 may include notches 530, or other suitable openings whichmay receive a transverse alignment bar (not shown) for maintaining therear sides 5280 of the terminal assemblies 520 together in alignment asa single group.

In one important aspect of the invention, and as best illustrated inFIGS. 33 and 34, each terminal assembly 520 is preferably provided withmeans for engaging the connector housing 502, and this engagement meansis illustrated in the drawings as an elongated clip member 535 that isdisposed along one side, namely, the front side 524 of the terminalassembly 520. This clip member 535 is disposed between the two sets ofterminal contact portions 523 and it also extends forwardly of theterminal assembly frame 522 in order to contact an opposing ledge 537 orsimilar engagement member that is disposed in the connector housing 502.This engagement member is shown best in FIG. 35 in the form of ashoulder, or bar, 537 that extends horizontally as shown and whichprojects rearwardly in the internal cavity 511 of the connector housing502. As shown best in FIG. 32, the shoulder is preferably provided witha plurality of slots 539 (FIG. 31) that are spaced apart from each otherwidthwise of the connector housing 502, and which extend lengthwisewithin the connector housing 502 toward the front of the connector 500.Each clip member 535 preferably includes a pair of free ends 540 thatare spaced apart (shown in the vertical direction) to define a smallbight therebetween, which preferably is less that the thickness of thebar 537 so the clips 535 may engage the bar 537 reliably and exert apositive retention force thereon.

The terminal contact portions 523 likewise may be received withincorresponding terminal-receiving slots 542 that are formed in theconnector housing 502 and which are typically disposed on opposite sides(top and bottom) of the card-receiving slots 505. (FIG. 36.) Theterminal assembly engagement clip members 535 are preferably formed froma durable metal that is strong enough to maintain a reliable grip on theopposing shoulder 537 of the connector 500. The clip member 535 may beeasily molded as an insert into the dielectric frame 522 of the terminalassembly 520, and as illustrated in FIG. 34, may include a wide bodyportion 545 with an opening 546 formed therein to improve the retentionof the clip 535 in the frame 522. The clip members 535 provide a thirdpoint of engagement with the connector housing 502, with the first twopoints of retention being the two sets of the terminal contact portions523 which are retained within their corresponding terminal-receivingslots 542.

Turning now to FIG. 36, the connector 500 is seen in frontal elevation,which best illustrates the number of engagement portions that aredisposed on the connector housing 502 and arranged on the front face 506thereof. As described above, the connector housing 502 may includeopenings 340 formed therein that receive the engagement hooks 339 of thelight pipe arrays 336 a,b. These openings 340 are preferably disposed onthe connector front face 506 in the area between the two cardedge-receiving slots 505 of the connector 500, and further preferablyare disposed in between the shielding assembly engagement openings 550.

An additional set of openings 550 (FIG. 38) are disposed on the frontface 506 and these openings extend horizontally within the connectorhousing 502. These openings receive engagement members, in the form oftabs or lugs 552 of the portion of the exterior shielding assembly thatdefines an intervening wall between the two module-receiving bays of theshielding assembly. This is shown best in FIGS. 35 and 40. These slots550 extend rearwardly in the housing 502 and include an inner ledge 551.This inner ledge 551 provides a shoulder for a tang 553 on the shieldingassembly engagement tabs 552 to bear against and retain the shield inplace and in alignment with the connector housing 502. Both theseopenings 550 and the light pipe engagement openings 340. In this manner,the light pipes and the shielding assembly all engage the connectorhousing 502 in a secure manner so that all of the components will act asa single assembly. In this manner, the light pipes and connector may beassembled as a unit and inserted into the shielding assembly from itsrear.

The base portion 508 of the connector housing 502 has an opening thatcommunicates with the internal cavity 511 of the housing 502. Thispermits the bottom edges 526 of the terminal assemblies 520 to lie flaton the surface of the circuit board, if desired and as shown best inFIG. 35.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritof the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising: an insulative connector housing, the connector housing including an internal cavity formed therein thatopens to the rear of the connector, said housing including a front face,the front face including a pair of card-receiving slots spacedvertically apart thereon, the card-receiving slots being sized toreceive mating ends of a component that is mateable with said connector;a plurality of conductive terminals disposed in said connector housing,said connector housing including a plurality of terminal-receivingchannels disposed therein proximate to said slots, theterminal-receiving channels receiving said terminals therein; saidhousing further including at least first and second openings disposed onsaid housing between said card-receiving slots, the first opening beingsized to receive an engagement tab of an exterior shielding member andthe second opening being sized to receive an engagement member of alight pipe assembly exterior to the connector housing.
 2. The connectorof claim 1, wherein said connector further includes a plurality ofterminal assemblies supporting said terminals in distinct arrangementsof terminals, each of the terminal assemblies including an insulativesupport frame that supports said terminals in distinct pairs ofterminals thereon, the terminals having contact portions that projectfrom first edges of said support frames and tail portions that projectfrom second edges of said support frames.
 3. The connector of claim 2,wherein said terminal contact portions project horizontally from saidsupport frame first edges and are received within correspondingterminal-receiving cavities flanking said card-receiving slots of saidconnector housing.
 4. The connector of claim 2, wherein said terminalassembly support frame first and second edges are adjacent each other.5. The connector of claim 1, wherein said terminals have a generalinverted L-shape, with their contact portions and said tail portionsbeing disposed at opposite ends of said terminals, said contact and tailportions being disposed at an angle to each other.
 6. The connector ofclaim 2, wherein said connector housing includes an inner ledge disposedin said connector housing internal cavity and interposed between saidtwo card-receiving slots, and each of said terminal assemblies includinga clip for engaging the connector housing inner shoulder.
 7. Theconnector of claim 6, wherein said clips extend out from said firstedges of said terminal assemblies.
 8. The connector of claim 1, whereineach of said first and second openings are disposed on said connectorhousing front face.
 9. The connector of claim 1, wherein said firstopenings are linear slots.
 10. The connector of claim 9, wherein saidfirst openings are arranged so as to flank said second openings.
 11. Theconnector of claim 1, wherein said connector housing includes a top andbase portion and a forward engagement portion, the top and base portionsextending rearwardly from the forward engagement portion, and saidconnector housing front face being disposed on said forward engagementportion.
 12. The connector of claim 11, wherein said connector housinglugs that extend laterally from said connector housing.
 13. Theconnector of claim 6, wherein said ledge includes a plurality of slotsformed thereon, each of the slots receiving a single clip of one of saidterminal assemblies.
 14. An electrical connector, comprising: aninsulative connector housing , the connector housing including a topportion, a bottom portion and an engagement portion, the engagementportion including a front face, the front face including a pair ofcard-receiving slots spaced vertically apart thereon, the card-receivingslots being sized to receive mating ends of a component that is mateablewith said connector; a plurality of conductive terminals disposed insaid connector housing, said connector housing including a plurality ofterminal-receiving channels disposed therein proximate to said slots,the terminal-receiving channels receiving said terminals therein; saidconnector housing further including at least first and second openingsformed in said housing and being disposed at least partially on saidfront face between said card-receiving slots, the first opening beingarranged parallel to said card-receiving slots, said first openingsbeing disposed between said card-receiving slots, and the secondopenings being disposed between said card-receiving slots and betweensaid first openings.
 15. The connector of claim 14, wherein said firstopenings are sized to receive an engagement tab of an exterior shieldingmember and said second openings are sized to receive an engagementmember of an exterior light pipe assembly.
 16. The connector of claim14, wherein said connector housing includes an internal cavity, and saidconnector further includes a plurality of terminal assemblies forsupporting said terminals in distinct arrangements of terminals, each ofthe terminal assemblies including an insulative support frame thatsupports said terminals in distinct pairs of terminals thereon, saidterminal assemblies being disposed within said connector housinginternal cavity, and said terminals having contact portions that projectfrom first edges of said support frames and tail portions that projectfrom second edges of said support frames.
 17. The connector of claim 14,wherein said top and base portions extend rearwardly of the engagementportion.
 18. The connector of claim 14, wherein said terminals have aninverted L-configuration.
 19. The connector of claim 16, wherein saidconnector housing includes an inner ledge supported by said engagementportion and interposed between said two card-receiving slots, and eachof said terminal assemblies including a clip for engaging the innerledge.
 20. An electrical connector, comprising: an insulative connectorhousing, the connector housing including a top portion, a bottom portionand an engagement portion, the engagement portion including a frontface, the front face including a pair of card-receiving slots spacedvertically apart thereon, the card-receiving slots being sized toreceive mating ends of a component that is mateable with said connector;a plurality of conductive terminals disposed in said connector housing,said connector housing including a plurality of terminal-receivingchannels disposed therein proximate to said slots, theterminal-receiving channels receiving said terminals therein; saidconnector housing further including at least first and second openingsformed in said housing and being disposed at least partially on saidfront face between said card-receiving slots, the first openings beingarranged parallel to said card-receiving slots, said first openingsbeing positioned between said card-receiving slots for receivingengagement members of an exterior shielding assembly, and the secondopenings being disposed between said card-receiving slots and betweensaid first openings and said second opening being for receivingengagements members of an exterior light pipe assembly; and, saidconnector housing includes an internal cavity, said connector furtherincluding a plurality of terminal assemblies for supporting saidterminals in distinct arrangements of terminals, each of the terminalassemblies including an insulative support frame that supports saidterminals in distinct pairs of terminals thereon, said terminalassemblies being disposed within said connector housing internal cavity,and said terminals having contact portions that project from first edgesof said support frames and tail portions that project from second edgesof said support frames.